


You're family, aren't you?

by MissQED



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Complicated Relationships, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Female Percy Jackson, Gen, Mostly Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23283019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissQED/pseuds/MissQED
Summary: Persephone Amphitrite Jackson. Hades wanted to hate his niece for even being born, but how could he hate her when she bore his wife's name and called him family to his face? Fem!Percy & Hades. Now a series of interconnected one-shots.
Relationships: Hades & Percy Jackson, Hermes/Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan/Percy Jackson
Comments: 27
Kudos: 616





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct crosspost from my FFNet page, Andromeda of Othrys.

**_Okay, I so didn't want to write this, but I got suckered into fem!Percy/Hades and fem!Percy &Hades stories, and I had to get this thing out of my head. It's a one-shot for now, but depending on my muse, the general response and uni demands, I might expand this._ **

**Pairing: fem!Percy & Hades (platonic - for now!)  
**

* * *

_Persephone Amphitrite Jackson._

Hades frowned as he read the name of the hero Alecto had identified as the potential child of Poseidon and the thief of his Helm.

What was he supposed to do now? He had been expecting the boy with some degree of resemblance to his favorite brother – but a girl? Poseidon never had a mortal daughter before: a scant few immortal daughters like Kympoleia and Rhode, but a mortal?

The added trouble was the guilt Hades knew he would feel if he hurt his niece. No matter what, Poseidon and Hestia had always valued family bonds, and his little brother gave his damn best to include Hades into the family. He hadn't failed to notice how Poseidon seemed to target Hades specifically on the Winter Solstice councils to provoke a reaction out of his older brother and drag him into the conversation. To hurt his child, even if she was born out of the breach of the sacred oath, would feel like a betrayal, and if there was one thing Hades detested, it was a betrayal.

To make things worse, the girl bore the name of his dear wife and her father's wife. _Persephone Amphitrite_. Hades couldn't help but feel reluctantly impressed by the lover Poseidon had chosen: she must've been either a clear-sighted one, or Poseidon trusted her enough to reveal his true identity. Whichever was the truth, the result was the same: little demigoddess' first name protected her against the excessive wrath of the monsters allied with Underworld and endeared her to her uncle, and the second name would hopefully pacify the enraged Queen of the Seas when she hears about her husband's newest bastard.

_Persephone Jackson._

The name would not leave him alone, teasing him in his wife's absence and calling up the image of his wife overlaid with his brother's intense green eyes instead of Persephone's soft blues. For the first time in centuries, Hades decided to check on a mortal that was not his child of his former lover. He needed to get the image of the child and, hopefully, get her out of his head before she had time to root herself there too deeply. Hades was no one's fool, he knew his weaknesses, and beautiful women were one of them.

The worst part was, no one could deny the fact his brother's children were show-stoppers, with their inky black hair and intense green eyes, and Persephone Jackson promised to be just like her half-siblings: both powerful and beautiful beyond all mortal standards.

Waving his hand, he summoned the rainbow and tossed one of the many drachmas littering his office, mentally calling upon assistance from Iris. _Iris, dear, please show me Persephone Jackson._

_Of course, Lord Hades!_ Iris chirped. _Will you tell_ your _Persephone to call me when you see her?_

Hades flushed slightly at the unsubtle way Iris differentiated his wife from his niece. _Of course._

_Thank you!_

The rainbow blurred for a second before smoothing out, revealing the image of the young demigoddess exiting the yellow taxi, looking over her shoulder with cautious eyes. Hades' heart nearly stopped at sight and he heard himself gasp.

_Mother?!_

He found himself glued to the display in the shimmering air, but he couldn't care less. How was this possible? Rhea Ourania had disappeared from Olympus' sights soon after the Gigantomachy, but the elder Olympians knew she was still alive due to regular check-ups and occasional gifts she sent them. So how was it possible for his niece to look like her grandmother's spitting image? How?

From the soft, inky black ringlets framing the green eyes that Poseidon inherited from Rhea to the tanned skin, frail build and full lips now scrunched in an expression of distaste Hades had seen numerous times on his mother's face when she heard anyone talk about her husband... Seeing Persephone Jackson was like seeing his own mother in a miniature form, and Hades found himself torn.

How was he supposed to hate his niece when she reminded him so much of the woman he loved unconditionally? Was it truly possible that Poseidon sent the little girl to steal both the Master Bolt and his Helm? His little brother had never been a cruel god; temperamental and unfaithful, yes, but never outright cruel, and to send a miniature copy of their mother to steal his brothers' symbols of power would be beyond cruel.

Suddenly overwhelmed with questions and having next to no answers, Hades stood up from his throne, summoning Thanatos and dispelling the rainbow with a flick of his wrist.

"Yes, my Lord?" Thanatos asked when he appeared, his wings outstretched as he bowed shallowly as per his custom.

"There is a little _situation_ in the mortal world I need to resolve," Hades said regally, hoping the vagueness of his words and the stressing of the word 'situation' would mask his true intentions from his lieutenant. "Will you be able to watch over the Underworld for a short period of time?" The question was entirely unnecessary, but there were some rules and procedures Hades needed to observe before he went off to have a little uncle-niece chat.

"But of course my Lord," Thanatos' entire being glowed and his wings flexed slightly at the thought of the challenge and the trust the God of Underworld showed him. "Although, may I ask... is this about..." Son of Nyx looked pointedly at the armrest of Hades' throne, where his Helm of Darkness usually resided.

Hades nodded, and Thanatos' face darkened, but the older immortal did not inquire further, merely taking the seat. That dealt with, Hades closed his eyes and imagined the address he had briefly seen in the Iris message – East One Hundred and the First in Manhattan – and melted into the shadows, letting them guide him to the alleyway next to Persephone's apartment block.

* * *

The first impression Hades got of his niece's living area could be summed up in one word: _disgusting_. Granted, this was Manhattan, and there was a certain level of sleaziness and dirt Hades had come to expect in every modern mortal city, but this apartment building seemed to have a particularly potent scent of decaying humanity. Hades' eyes narrowed as he processed the thought, moving mindlessly to the entrance of the building. Either this was an amazing coincidence, or his brother's lover was smarter than Hades initially gave her credit for.

Looking at the names taped to the post boxes in the lobby of the building, Hades quickly determined which apartment he needed – the Jackson-Ugliano one. Feeling a little lazy, the Ruler of the Underworld let his shadows unfurl, and sent them to find out where exactly his niece resided. After getting the exact floor, Hades ghosted up the stairs, applying a little whiff of Mist to hide himself from the ordinary mortals. It was a bit of an overkill, but Hades didn't want any interruptions or for his presence to be detected by either of his brothers. His and Poseidon's relationship was more amicable than his and Zeus', but Hades had no illusions what kind of things his younger brother would do if he found out Hades had been visiting his daughter without alerting him beforehand.

As he climbed up the stairs towards the correct floor, the scent of the decaying humanity grew in intensity, reaching the point where Hades felt the need to breathe through his mouth. This was no coincidence: Poseidon's lover must've hidden Persephone near the origin of that repulsive smell to cover up girl's natural scent. That would explain why no monster managed to stumble upon her despite her heritage. Hades' respect for the woman grew as he arrived at the door of the correct apartment and the scent hit him with its full power, which made his eyes water slightly.

Dear Creator, was it even possible for a mortal to reek so repulsively… well, mortal?

He knocked at the door, praying to Fates either his niece or his brother's lover answer the door, for he doubted he could endure being so close to the origin of that smell.

"Sally! Open the door!" Deep male voice shouted from inside the apartment, and Hades tilted his head slightly as he analyzed the new information. Sally, not Persephone – so the lover. Sally Jackson. The name was utterly unassuming, but Hades had learned a long time ago never to assume things based on something as shallow as a name.

The key turned and the lock clicked before the door opened a notch, revealing a chain and a face of Sally Jackson behind it. Even though her face was slightly drawn, the years showing in the soft lines and wrinkles on her face, his brother's lover still retained the air of beauty and dignity. Her eyes widened as she took in Hades' appearance before obediently dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Lord Hades Aidoneus."

_That_ threw Hades for a loop. He expected the woman to be clear-sighted, but to greet him with both his name and most common title, The Unseen One? This went beyond the usual clear sight - this spoke of _preparation._ She knew what awaited her child.

"Miss Jackson," he replied after a moment. "May I enter? I would like to have a little chat with your daughter."

Sally lifted her head, her murky blue eyes wide with what Hades easily recognized as fear. He could understand her reaction: to have one of the gods appearing on your doorstep and requesting a meeting your child was one thing, when said god's name was Hades? The things got an entirely new meaning.

"It is not your daughter's time yet," he reassured her, watching as the relief spread through the woman's body, making her slump slightly. "I merely wish to have a chat with her."

"What about, my Lord?" Sally asked, removing the chain and opening the doors completely. "I've not told Sephie anything about her father, and she has never told me about anything unusual happening to her."

Hades glided in the apartment, breathing through his mouth to filter the stench of the place, and turned around to fix the mortal with an incredulous look.

"She knows nothing about us? The gods, monsters... anything?" He questioned, a deep set unease crawling into his gut. If Persephone Jackson had no knowledge of her father, how could she have stolen his Helm?

"Nothing at all," Sally confirmed. "She believes her father was lost at sea."

A small smile tugged at the edges of Hades' mouth. "Clever, Lady Jackson," he deliberately addressed her with a formal title, watching the woman's cheeks redden. "Very clever. I can see what my brother saw in you."

"Sally!" the male voice from before shouted again, and Hades heard the scraping of wood against the floor before the obese man waddled into the hallway from what Hades guessed was the kitchen, bringing with him the horrible stench. Hades' eyebrows rose as he again had to concentrate on not breathing through the nose. "Who the fuck is this, Sally?!"

"Language," Hades chided the mortal before Sally could say anything. "And I am merely here to visit Persephone."

"The brat?" The mortal narrowed his eyes, and Hades saw him look over the fine suit and the various gems and precious metals adorning his wrists and fingers. "What, are you her father?"

Hades chuckled. While he wished he had met Sally Jackson before his brother, he valued his oath of no children more. "Dear Fates, no! I am, however, her family: her father's older brother."

"Uncle?" A high, feminine voice came from behind him, and Hades spun around to confront the owner of the voice, only to promptly lose his voice. If he had thought Persephone looked incredibly similar to her grandmother in the Iris message, it paled to the resemblance she bore at the personal inspection. By the Creator, she was not 'practically' a spitting image, she was Rhea's little clone, the voice aside! "You're my uncle?"

"Sephie," Sally moved around the god of Underworld to reach her daughter while the said god stood silently in shock. "Please go back to your room."

"Are you my uncle?" little demigoddess repeated, a pout Hades was all-too-familiar with appearing on her face, and he groaned inwardly. There was no saying no to their mother or to his brother when they made that face!

"Yes, child, I am," Hades somehow said those four words without stuttering. "You look incredibly like your father and grandmother."

Persephone's eyes lit up, and even Sally looked intrigued at his admission. Hades wanted to curse himself for that little slip-up, but before he could say anything, the reeking mortal interrupted.

"Are you taking the brat away?"

"Gabriel!" Sally exclaimed in shock and anger, but Hades tilted his head, deep in thought. The interference on the quests and contact with their demigod children was absolutely forbidden to the gods, but this was neither his child nor part of anyone's quest. However, there was still a matter of his little brother's rage that needed to be factored in.

"No, I am not," Hades declared, and watched Persephone – Sephie as her mother caller her, and Hades had to admit the nickname was cute – wilt, so he quickly added, "but I need to have a little private discussion with my niece, about some family matters."

He smiled slightly at the girl's sudden interest and Sally's confusion. Before the disgusting mortal could react, Hades tugged his niece by her shoulder into the room she came out of and closed the door, murmuring a locking spell and a spell against eavesdroppers.

"Family matters?" Per- _Sephie_ asked him as he finished with the spells.

"Yes, my dear niece," Hades sighed and turned around. "Some rather serious family matters. Before we start though: what do you know about your father?"

Sephie blinked, taken aback, before her eyes hardened and face smoothed into a neutral expression. "He was tall, dark and handsome," she said in a monotone, almost as if quoting someone. "He was very powerful and very important, and his relationship with my mum was secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic and never came back. He was lost at the sea." She blinked again, her voice returning to its normal cadence. "That's all my mum ever told me about him."

Hades nodded, sitting down next to his niece on the rickety bed. As far as stories went, this was one of the more accurate ones, lying only in the fact it didn't mention gods anywhere. "Not bad," he admitted. "Completely truthful, yet an utter lie. My nephew, your cousin, would've been impressed."

Sephie looked rather lost, so Hades went on. "The essentials of the story are the truth. Your father is powerful and important, and his relationship with your mother was certainly a secret – for twelve years, none of our family members knew you even existed. Quite impressive, everything considered." He couldn't help but admire how dedicated both Sally and Poseidon were in hiding Sephie from immortal eyes. "We usually know very quickly when my brothers or I sire a child, due to the gifts and the curse our children bear."

"Gifts? Curse?" Sephie interrupted, looking quite annoyed, and Hades cracked a smile at the blunt display of Poseidon's impatience. "What are you talking about? I don't even know your name!"

Ah, there was his opening. "Hades," he said simply, letting the name hang in the silence. "My name is Hades."

"Like, the Greek god of the dead?" Sephie scoffed, and Hades shook his head. His little niece was quite amusing, and thankfully she didn't confuse him with Thanatos, who governed over the actual death.

"Not like. I am the Greek God of Dead, Ruler of the Underworld."

Sephie exploded in laughter. That was not the usual response to the existence of the world beyond the Mist, but it was better than blubbering panic.

"You expect me to believe that?" Sephie spoke through laughter, before she realized Hades was not laughing with her. "You're kidding me, right?" She sounded a little unsure.

"I am afraid not, my dear niece," Hades sighed. "Greek gods are quite real, and you are the ultimate proof. A child of a god and a mortal – a demigod, or demigoddess in your case."

"Look, even if I believe that gods are real, what do I have to do with that?" Sephie asked, now quite unnerved. "Where do I fit in?"

"Why, you're my little brother's daughter, not to mention your mother named you after my wife and your cousin," Hades told her, letting her connect the remaining dots. If she knew anything about the mortal recording of their pantheon's antics, she'll know pretty soon who her father is.

"Little brother... Poseidon, God of the Seas," Sephie sounded quite faint, and Hades noted how pale she became, looking everywhere but at him. "He's alive?"

"Unfortunately," he informed her with a put-upon sigh, "although he's still a much preferable brother to be around than the Drama King brat." Thunder rumbled ominously, and Hades sighed. "See? I don't even mention his name, and he gets all huffy."

"Then why hasn't he visited me?" Sephie suddenly demanded, her eyes glittering, and Hades leaned away from the demigoddess. Fates, he feared the day she stepped into the Olympus: she would bring down the elder Olympians on their knees with her eyes alone! "Is he's really my father, why hasn't he visited?"

"The ancient laws forbid the gods from interacting with their _children_ directly," Hades smirked, and Sephie's eyes widened.

"But you're not my father, so - "

"So I have every right to visit you, if I want to. I was not exaggerating about those twelve years we hadn't known," he forestalled her next question, raising his palm in a stop gesture. "Your mother and father hid you almost perfectly from the immortals. You've probably gone on undiscovered for a year more if the situation hadn't arisen."

"Situation?" Sephie leaned forward. "What situation?"

"Your uncle's Master Bolt and my Helm of Darkness are missing – stolen," Hades revealed.

Sephie gasped, covering her mouth. "Who'd be an idiot enough to do that?"

"You," Hades smiled humorlessly, "if you ask your uncle and until a few minutes ago, me as well."

"Wha – is Zeus crazy? How could I've done that if I didn't even know who my father was?" Sephie exploded, hair flying everywhere. If the eyes and the hair weren't enough of a proof, her temper only cemented the resemblance to her father. How many times had he seen that same expression on Poseidon's face when he believed he was falsely accused of something? The sound of thunder cut through Hades' musings and forced him to deal with his niece's righteous anger.

"Please, my dear niece, refrain from using names," he warned the young demigoddess. "Speaking the name may summon the one you're speaking of, and my baby brother is not one of the most reasonable gods when angered."

Sephie huffed and crossed her arms, but the glint reappeared in her eyes. "Is that why my mum refuses to address me as Persephone? To avoid accidentally summoning your wife?"

"Very likely," Hades concurred. "Your mother is very smart."

"Duh, she's my mum," Sephie deadpanned, and Hades was suddenly reminded of the hero that partly shared the name with the young heroine, and his eyes when someone dared to insult his mother.

"Indeed. Now, my dear niece, may I ask a favor of you?"

"A favor?" Sephie tilted her head, and for the first time Hades could see something in her face that didn't connect her to either Rhea or Poseidon; something that belonged solely to Persephone 'Sephie' Jackson – the brilliance of mortality, the ability to adapt to anything. "What favor could I do for my uncle, the God of Underworld?"

Hades chuckled: the way she phrased it, it did sound quite ludicrous. "A very big favor, Persephone Jackson, daughter of the Sea. I cannot look for my Helm personally: Thanatos cannot watch over my domain for that long. When you get a quest for my baby brother's Bolt, would you seek out my Helm as well?"

Sephie blinked before nodding. "Of course, Uncle. You're family, aren't you?"

And Hades was not prideful enough to deny his eyes watering as his niece spoke the words he had only heard out his mother's, Hestia's and occasionally Poseidon's mouth before. Not a single family member who was not either married to him or sired by him had so explicitly included him into the 'family'.

_Thank you, Sephie Jackson._


	2. Of letters, quests and thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the The Lighting Thief quest from Hades' POV

**_You surprised this girl! I haven't been around PJO for couple of years, then I post this little short and suddenly I get an explosion... but anyway. You forced me - yes, you forced me! - into making this sequel chapter. Since I got a suggestion to make this a series of one-shots, I will do so, but they will all be interconnected: they'll follow the PJO timeline, and I'll see how long will I be able to keep it up. Maybe I'll sneak in some other gods' POVs later on, but for now, I'm focusing entirely on Sephie and Hades._ **

* * *

_If anyone asked, this never happened._

Hades was still snickering from watching Sephie Jackson and Athena's child Anna-something take a 'Tunnel of Love' ride, even though it happened days ago. Fates, the sheer thought of the children of those two bitter rivals working together was hilarious, let alone taking the ride in a small boat together in a Tunnel of Love! Although, Hades always suspected there was something more behind the rivalry of his little brother and his more tolerable niece. No god took the insults or sacrilege well, they were all too prideful, but Poseidon and Athena shared that special brand of rivalry and hatred Hades had only seen in situations when one party hurt the other emotionally.

He knew better than to insinuate anything to those two though; Athena would outright deny any sort of emotional attachment to Poseidon, and his brother would just give him his patented _I-do-not-need-this-bullshit-right-now-brother_ stare. Yes, the stare had a name – after so many times it had been directed at Zeus for his antics…

But the Summer Solstice deadline was approaching rapidly.

"My Lord?" Thanatos looked a little unnerved by Hades' laughter as he entered the throne room. The oldest son of Kronos took a deep breath to compose himself then turned his gaze to his lieutenant.

"Yes, Thanatos?"

"Hermes is here," the black-winged immortal huffed, and Hades pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Let him in when you leave," the Ruler of the Underworld said after a few seconds. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing out of ordinary," Thanatos shrugged. "Charon is complaining again."

"You can tell your brother he can either cease his pestering, or I will go visit his mother and have a little 'chat' with her about her son's behavior!" Hades snapped, shaking his head. Fates, why were his subjects and helpers such brats? They were all older than him!

Thanatos smirked and bowed shallowly. "As you command, my Lord." Son of Nyx sauntered out of the throne room, scrolling down his I-phone in search of newly deceased, and his wing-footed nephew came in.

"Hel-lo, Uncle H!" Hermes greeted cheerfully, rummaging around his messenger bag. "Dad sends his missive-"

"My brother can stuff his missives up his _podex_ ," Hades cut Hermes off, leaning back in his throne. "Anything else?"

"Uncle P sends an oral warning for you," here Hermes cleared his throat. "'Keep your paws off my daughter and let her finish her quest – I mean it, Hades', quote unquote." The Poseidon imitation Hermes did was not too bad. The Sea King did have a protective streak when it came to his many children, and Hades could only guess how protective Poseidon would be of his first mortal daughter.

"Oh, I certainly won't be interfering, you can tell Poseidon that," Hades chuckled. "I am not in habit of attacking his children."

"And Persephone Jackson sends you a letter," here Hermes frowned. "Why would she be sending you letters?"

Hades froze for a second. How was he going to explain this? One wrong word, and both Zeus and Poseidon would be on his case: Zeus for contacting the demigoddess in the first place, and Poseidon out of sheer overprotectiveness.

"I have no idea," he drawled at last, desperately searching for a convincing lie. "I do have her mother here – maybe that's why."

Hermes' mouth formed an 'O'. "It could be," the messenger nodded as he handed his uncle the letter. "It fits – I've heard from my kids she adores her mother. Anyway, that's it. Bye, Uncle H!"

Hades took the letter, tucked it away in the pocket and said nothing in response, waiting for Hermes to leave. As soon as the younger immortal left, Hades pulled out the letter again and opened it with utmost care. The envelope was cheap and plain white, with name _Hades_ scrawled in messy Greek on it and a stamp of Nevada on it, but the god did not care: his niece willingly contacted him of all gods, and not her father.

He had a sudden urge to rub this in his brother's face, but then he remembered the Medusa head the little brat sent to Olympus and decided otherwise. Poseidon got the 'notice me Dad!' parcel – like the Olympians needed an additional reminder Sephie existed! – and he got the personal mail: it wasn't fair to compare those two.

A postcard slid out of the envelope, and Hades felt horror well up in him – it had an image of Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas plastered on it. _Had the girl met my children?_

Heart filled with dread, he turned the card around to read the message.

_Hey Uncle Hades,_

_Greetings from Vegas! The city is just like the stories: glitz and glamour and sin and pure awesomeness! One question: are Nico and Bianca Di Angelo my cousins? They look a bit like you – well, if you look them straight in the eye. I doubt I'd have recognized them if we hadn't had that little chat before I got to the Camp Half-Blood! Also, sorry for coming this close to the deadline, Lotus Hotel and Casino really messed us up – we spent five days in there, and we thought it was only a few hours!_

_See you soon!_

_Sephie Jackson_

_P.S. Is it normal for the gifts from gods to return to you, even when you dump them in the trash? Annabeth and Grover don't know, and you're the only god I know personally aside from Ares the jerk, and he was the one who gave it to me._

_She did._ Hades wanted to groan out loud. Why, oh why was this happening? First his niece looks like his mother and has the name of his wife, and now she sends postcards to see if she had cousins on his side of the family. Maybe the Fates were onto something when they refused to allow Poseidon to have mortal daughters. No hero had created this much chaos so early, and Sephie was only twelve! If she lived to see her sixteenth birthday, she would either raze Olympus or transform it completely!

The post-scriptum caught his eye, however. Why was Ares giving out gifts that returned to the receivers? That type of magic was not unusual, but it was not Ares' style. The gifts in general were not Ares' style, but in those rare moments he gave them, they never had to end up in the trash. So, why would Ares give out gifts that returned to their receivers, and why would Sephie want to dump them into trash? He would have to think about it.

Hades skillfully ignored the growing sense of unease in his bones and the voice of his thrice-cursed Father whispering in his ear. Sephie was coming soon, and they needed to play this out perfectly. No one was to know about his little visit, or the fact Sephie knew about his Helm missing.

* * *

The questers – Athena's child, satyr and Sephie – did not look their best as they entered his throne room, but it was still fair sight better than usual. Namely, they didn't smell of the streets, although they looked curiously ruffled for people who drove from Vegas to Los Angeles after the stay in Lotus Hotel. Hades leaned back into the throne, letting his aura permeate the air, and enjoyed seeing the trio shudder before Sephie took a bold step forward, the bolt hidden in the backpack. He narrowed his eyes at his baby brother's symbol of power: why did she have it, when she freely admitted she knew nothing of their world before his visit?

"My Lord and Uncle," she spoke, bowing her head in almost mockery of respect, and Hades wanted to snort. He had to play this game, but it was really difficult not to argue with the girl when she channeled her father so thoroughly! "I come here with a request and a plea."

Request and plea? He could play with that, even with Master Bolt throwing a spanner in his plan.

"You amuse me, dear niece," Hades spoke languidly, watching with sharp eyes every micro-expression on Sephie's face. Athena's child and satyr were of less importance right now – _she_ was the main player. "To think you can simply stroll into the Underworld and request, nay, demand anything of me. But I will listen."

Sephie gulped, eyes unsure for a moment, before she raised her chin to meet his gaze dead on. Foolish of her, but he would let it slide, for now. Her name _was_ Persephone, after all, and he couldn't ignore the halo of Rhea around her.

"I doubt you want the war between Uncle Zeus and my father," she started slowly. "I mean, what would you gain from it? Sure, they would battle, leaving themselves wide open for a sneak attack, but gods never play fair. They use humans to do their bidding, and every mortal who dies comes here." She gestured vaguely in the direction of the Asphodel Fields, and Hades was reluctantly impressed with her perceptiveness. "And frankly, you don't need more souls here – the chaos is big enough as it is. So please Uncle, return Zeus' Master Bolt so we can all avoid the total war."

Hades spied Athena's child give Sephie impressed look and the satyr's wide eyes, but he was still more focused on the steely determination in Sephie's eyes.

"You would not be wrong, little niece," Hades sighed, tapping his fingers against the throne's armrests, "but there's a slight… _problem_ with your request."

The girl blinked, taken aback. "Uncle – I mean, Lord Hades?" She made a little slip, but it was not a terrible one, so Hades ignored it as he stood up.

"My brother's Master Bolt was not the only thing that had gone missing," he hissed, summoning all of the anger he held for the currently nameless and faceless thief. Sephie's eyes widened, and Athena's child and satyr gasped. Hades felt a pang of regret for scaring the children, but this was all a game, and the favorable result hinged on his ability to act.

"The Helm of Darkness!" Athena's child squeaked. "Sephie, the Helm of Darkness!"

"Indeed, child of Athena. My Helm was also stolen – by you, little niece! And now you come to threaten me, to return your mother to you?! The nerve of you, Persephone Jackson!"

"B-but I don't _have_ the Bolt!" Sephie staggered backward, true fear shining from her eyes, and Hades had to stop himself from offering her an apology. She may have told the truth, but someone had played all three sons of Kronos for fools, and Hades needed to know who!

"Oh? Then check your backpack, if you're so certain!" he ordered harshly, and was treated to utter shock and terror from all three questers when Sephie pulled out the Master Bolt.

"How? When?" Athena's child muttered hurriedly, inspecting the backpack. The satyr was braying, unable to stand still, and Sephie… Sephie looked like everything clicked in its place in her head, and the picture she was seeing terrified her out of her mind.

"No," she whispered, silencing everyone in the room, "no! Ares… but how… counselors. Winter Solstice. Of course! Clarisse? Or…" The horror on her face deepened, and Hades dug his nails into his palms to stop himself from reacting.

"Sephie, what are you talking about?" The satyr asked the same thing Hades wanted to know.

"Yes, Persephone, what are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry Uncle Hades," Sephie said weakly, turning only her head to look her uncle in the face. "I – I don't have your Helm, but I know who has it right now – and I think I know who stole it." Hades blinked, but demigoddess went on, preventing anyone from commenting. "I swear on the River Styx I have not stolen either the Master Bolt or the Helm of Darkness," the thunder could be heard through the ground and Hades felt eyes widen, "and I swear I will return the Helm to Lord Hades when I win the possession of it." The thunder rumbled again, and Persephone quickly pulled out three misty-green pearls Hades recognized from the many experiments Poseidon did early in their rulership of the world. "Let's go!"

"PERSEPHONE JACKSON!" Hades shouted and the skeletons he had scattered through his throne room awoke in response to their master's fury, but it was too late – the trio had already shattered the pearls, and the bubbles did not allow any physical harm. The last look he spotted on his niece's face was realization that was slowly turning into determination.

_Maybe there was hope._

* * *

"The half-blood fulfilled her oath," Alecto hissed as she entered the throne room, finding her Lord pacing around it. Hades instantly zeroed in on his Helm in the Fury's hands, and all but sprinted across the room to get it. He relaxed the moment the metal of the war helmet touched his scalp: it drowned out the whispers from his sire and other prisoners currently stuck in Tartarus and opened the old channels with which he controlled the shadows.

"So she had," Hades sighed, stroking the Helm fondly. "So she had, Alecto. She had proven herself."

"Indeed she had," Alecto nodded and left, although she didn't look happy about it, and Hades didn't blame her. It was not in Alecto's nature to praise anyone, least of all the demigods. However, things still weren't over – not completely.

"I believe there is no longer any need to keep her mother here," Hades mused, looking at the small jar holding Sally Jackson's soul. "Yes, no need at all." And with a snap of his fingers, he released his brother's former lover back into the upper world. He owed his little niece that much.

Speaking of nieces though…

"Hermes!" Hades called out. "I need you to send a message to Poseidon!"

* * *

About a week after the summer solstice, Hermes invaded his throne room again.

"Hey, Uncle H! You gotta tell me what you did to Sephie Jackson," the messenger god pouted as her picked out the blue envelope out of his pocket. "She's sending you mail again!"

 _Yesss, tell him pleassse, Lord Hadesss,_ Martha, one of the snakes on Hermes' caduceus hissed.

 _Maybe he'll ssstop whining about the pretty Sssea Princesss ignoring him,_ George, the other snake, snickered.

Hades raised his eyebrow, quite amused as Hermes' ears reddened, and he hissed at his snakes to be quiet.

"Ignoring you? Did I hear that right, nephew?"

 _Yessss_ , Martha cackled. _It'sss quite amusssing._

"It's not like that!" Hermes whined, pushing the envelope towards Hades. "I mean, she's pretty, sure, but it's not - I'm not -!"

"Don't let my brother hear you," Hades advised the younger god with a smirk. "He's _very_ protective of his little Princess."

"You don't have to tell me, uncle!" Hermes groaned, morphing his staff into the mobile phone and checking the messages waiting for him. "He nearly blasted Ares to Tartarus for hurting her, and landed Apollo in his own infirmary for 'objectifying his daughter'! Even _Athena_ looked surprised!"

"Did he?" Hades' smirk was positively feral now, not having any complaints about his brother's behavior for once. If anyone did something similar to Bianca… well, he wasn't a God of Underworld for nothing. "Good. Now I believe you have messages to deliver?"

"Yeah! Bye!" Hermes fled the throne room, and Hades shook his head in amusement. It would do his family good to have a pretty girl dangling in front of them like a forbidden fruit – maybe then they'll learn some restraint.

He carefully opened the letter, and this time the white sheet of paper fell out instead of the postcard. The letters looked much neater this time: Sephie was apparently in no rush when she wrote this.

_Hey Uncle Hades!_

_I know, I know, you must be wondering why is your favorite mortal niece pestering you now, but I had to. I had to say thank you. You returned my mum, hale and healthy, to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

_On the completely unrelated note, there is a soul of Gabriel Ugliano currently rotting in Charon's lobby. Can you please make sure he gets the worst imaginable torture in the Fields of Punishment? I have some ideas too, but since I'm trying not to waste paper and ink on that swine of a man, I won't tell you here – but you're free to contact me whenever, however! (Dad and Chiron helped with the ideas. Who would've thought Chiron could be so vindictive?)_

_I guess I've got to address the elephant in the room now – who stole the bolt. I'm still not 100 percent sure, but I think it's Luke Castellan, son of Hermes. I talked with Annabeth, and she told me year-round counselors went up on Olympus that day. Ares had been controlled by Grandpa dearest_ (Hades shuddered here) _, and I had… dreams. Dreams of the voice in the pit, talking to someone, and that someone sounded familiar and mentioned the thief was intercepted by a god. The only counselors I know well enough to recognize the voice of are Annabeth, Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, and Luke, and Ares said Clarisse wasn't in on it. Of course, Ares could've been lying, but… Luke has been distant last few days, and we had such a great start!_

_I'm praying I'm wrong, but with the Oracle's warnings and him being so distant… I don't know, Uncle. Like I said, I could be missing the mark completely, but… I'm scared to death (no pun intended) I'll be proven right. I don't want to lose the first person who welcomed me in the camp._

_Well, that's all from me!_

_Yours,_

_Sephie Jackson_

_P.S. You never told me: are Bianca and Nico my cousins?_

Hades restrained the urge to crumple the letter; rather, he folded it carefully and returned it to the envelope, placing it next to the postcard from Vegas. The request about Gabriel Ugliano – Sephie's stepfather, if he remembered it right from his visit, he never asked the name – he could do easily enough: Alecto would enjoy torturing him, and he was a little curious what Chiron and his brother came up with. Thoughts of Nico and Bianca he pushed to the back of his mind, hoping Sephie would forget about them eventually, and smiled at the heartfelt thanks.

The thief, though… Hades gritted his teeth. If Hermes' son had really stolen his Helm, and worked together with his sire, he would pay dearly. Not many knew, but the Helm helped Hades keep his Father's voice out of his mind – he had naturally strong mental shields, but he lived way too close to Tartarus for the shields to be enough – and the theft subjected the God of the Dead to six months of sleepless nights and nightmares, not to mention _his_ voice constantly whispering to him when he was awake. Oh, when he gets his hands on the thief… he will show them just _why_ he was the sibling with the most resemblance to his _dear_ Father.

_If the thief wishes to listen to my Father so much… I will oblige._


	3. Birthday cookies time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephie celebrates birthday in the Underworld. That's it.

_**This chapter is in honor of my gorgeous bastard of the Math Exam proctor - also known as 'why in Tartarus does he look so much like Luke freaking Castellan?' guy. No, seriously: the guy looked** _ **exactly _like the Luke I imagined, blue eyes, blonde hair and all. He only lacked the scar and had a light beard. What the Hades?!_**

**Little warning: this chapter is pure imagination - nothing like this occurred in PJO. But I figured, since Sephie would have no 'official' reason to be in contact with her 'Uncle Hades' until the Titan's Curse, I would add this scene in for the heck of it.**

* * *

Days held little meaning in the Underworld – be it day or night in the upper world, the realm of the dead stayed the same, enveloped in thick shroud of greyish mist. The dead, after all, had no need for telling time. The only real way for the living and the immortals to tell time was to watch out for the slow dissipation or thickening of the mist: the signs Hades was happy with his wife, or sulking without her.

The 18th of August was no different in that regard: the mist was only starting to dissipate in remote places, a sure sign of Persephone's arrival being not too far away. Hades reclined in his throne, head propped against his arm, which in turn was propped on the armrest, his dark eyes half-mast as he listened to Thanatos' report. After the immortal was finished – thankfully, his niece had not done anything too damaging to the security, since she went through Charon and only set off one alarm – he dismissed the black-winged lieutenant and closed his eyes completely, praying to Morpheus for peaceful rest for a change.

Despite the Helm allowing him respite from the Tartarus-induced nightmares and waking visions, it did nothing to help him avoid Fates and their little games. While not the sibling most prone to the unsettling, prophetic dreams – the laurels for that went to Poseidon – he had been getting chilling dreams for the last two weeks. He had seen his Father in his full form: the sight no immortal younger than Zeus had seen, and Hades desperately hoped no one would have to, but the news that reached him via his oldest sister Hestia spoke otherwise.

He clenched his hands instinctively, as he recalled that day…

_Hades had just signed off on the last file of the deceased that entered the Fields of Punishment – none other than Gabriel Ugliano, and he had to say, he was impressed by the sheer cruelty of the punishment – when the knock sounded through his office._

_"_ _Come in," he called, laying down the gold fountain pen with sapphire inlays at the top and stretching his wrist. Only those he truly considered his family – Hestia, Poseidon, Thanatos, Hecate and Persephone – knew he hated when someone barged in his office and knocked before entering._

_Hestia, his dearest sister, slinked through the heavy obsidian doors and closed them before turning to him, sending him a warm smile. "Brother."_

_"_ _Sister," Hades greeted, standing up and opening his arms, a smile of his own playing at the corners of his lips. Hestia grew in front of his eyes, from her twelve-year-old form to the mature twenty-year-old woman, and stepped into the offered hug, bringing the smell of sandalwood and forget-me-nots with her. "I see you still use that little recipe for the shower."_

_"_ _Oh, the sandalwood?" Hestia shrugged, still smiling gently, motherly in a way that sent pangs through Hades' heart and made him wish for Rhea. "Mother sent me as a birthday present, and I loved it. Why change it?"_

_"_ _True," Hades nodded and released his sister. "What brings you to my abode, my dear sister?"_

_Hestia sighed, tucking the stray auburn lock behind her ear. "Nothing good, I am afraid. You should sit for this."_

_Hades blinked at the devastated expression on her normally serene and gentle features but complied, not wishing to add to his sister's sorrow. "You should sit as well, sister."_

_"_ _I cannot, brother," Hestia murmured, shaking her head. "The pain… I cannot sit, not yet. I'm afraid I'll turn your beautiful furniture into ashes and sludge."_

_Hades felt the worry spread from his heart to his limbs. It wasn't like Hestia to lose control of her powers; you had to severely hurt her, be it physically or emotionally, before she'd feel anywhere close to incinerating objects on touch._

_"_ _What ails you, mikri aderphi?" he asked, the old nickname of 'little sister' the rest of the children of Kronos came up with during the Titanomachy slipping off his tongue without any conscious thought._

_Hestia smiled weakly at the nickname, but grew sad again. "It's Sephie. She… was betrayed today, by the boy she trusted." She lifted her head up. "He was the thief."_

_Hades inhaled, the pressure in his chest rising. The thief and the betrayal… Sephie's letter…_

_"_ _Luke Castellan," he said, not bothering to hide his shock._

_Hestia's eyes widened, but she didn't ask how he knew the name. "Yes. He poisoned her and left her to die in the woods of Camp Half-Blood. Thank Fates, the dryads alerted Chiron, and he and Apollo's children healed her before she sustained any permanent damage. She woke up not long ago, and immediately came to my hearth to cry."_

_Hades' heart constricted for a second, and he found himself sympathizing with his little niece and his favorite sister. He and Hestia knew better than any immortal currently not imprisoned or faded how betrayal felt like: Hades still nursed a grudge against Zeus for killing Maria and betraying his trust, and Hestia remembered their Father's betrayal when he swallowed her._

_"_ _A half-blood, so willing to betray his own blood… It does not bode well for us, sister."_

_"_ _No, it doesn't," Hestia sighed, playing aimlessly with the lock of her hair. "I know Chiron sent the message to our family on Olympus, but I wanted to make sure you knew immediately. Poseidon will be furious."_

_"_ _As long as he doesn't send too many mortals here," Hades sighed, already dreading the workload he would have to endure, but honestly not too angry, "I will not begrudge him his fury. I would've done the same thing."_

_"_ _You immature children," Hestia scolded half-heartedly, knowing she could not change her brothers' ways. "Why do the mortals have to suffer your wrath? Can you not focus your anger on the true culprit?"_

_"_ _Oh believe me sister, I certainly will," Hades promised, his eyes glinting with mad sparkle that made Hestia flinch slightly. "Between Poseidon and I, Lucas Castellan will not have a single peaceful moment in his life – or afterlife."_

_Hestia shook her head but didn't comment further, glancing at the door. "I have to go, Zeus is issuing a call for an emergency meeting. Let's hope Hera and I will be able to stop Poseidon from blasting Hermes into pieces."_

_"_ _Safe travels, mikri aderphi," Hades shouted after her, and Hestia giggled before vanishing in a burst of fire._

Thankfully, Poseidon quickly got a hold of himself, and the number of the dead that came in as a result of his temper could only be counted in dozens, not hundreds or thousands. Hermes managed to evade the 'blasted to pieces' fate by the hair's breadth, and Sephie Jackson healed fully from the poisoning. Still, Hades could not feel a little concerned for his niece. She had poured her heart out to Hestia, and Hades knew how good his sister was at lessening the heartache, but he wished he could talk to her as well.

He was the one she had confided in first; it was he who knew about her suspicions about Son of Hermes long before the poisoning, he who knew how much she wished he wasn't the thief and how afraid she was of the truth. He couldn't leave the Underworld again – Thanatos would grow suspicious, and if even one immortal got suspicious, soon the whole Olympus would know of it – but he could send the letter. He didn't dare use Hermes' services – again, suspicions – but he could will the shadows to deposit the letter on Sephie's bed or her desk. Also, it would make a nice present – it was her birthday today, wasn't it?

Just as he decided to go to his office and start the letter, Alecto flew in, her countenance mulish.

"Orpheus' doors have been opened, my Lord," she grumbled, not at all happy. "Half-blood came in, carrying the blessing of Persephone."

Hades blinked, completely taken aback. Why would his wife bless a demigod, and why would the said demigod come through Orpheus' doors? Moreover, why was Alecto so calm?

"Who is the half-blood?" Hades asked.

"Persephone Jackson, my Lord," Alecto replied, and Hades instantly understood why wasn't she raising a bigger fuss. The story of a half-blood daughter of Poseidon who kept her oath and returned the Helm of Darkness to him without asking for anything in return spread like wildfire through the Underworld, and even Nyx, hiding in her House of Night in Tartarus, came up to ask him about it. Not a single immortal could remember a hero who came in the Underworld and left with such little fuss, and all that without demanding the return of the loved one, and they were impressed.

Hades had a feeling had he not had a wife already, he would be dealing with a slew of pointed questions and covert negotiations with his brother behind his back. He shook his head at the thought: his niece was beautiful, yes, and if she lived long enough could give Aphrodite run for her money, but he was not attracted to her. He respected Sephie and couldn't help but adore her a little bit for her resemblance to Rhea, but nothing else. It was nothing like the all-consuming love he felt for Persephone the moment he saw her and still felt to this day.

"Very well," Hades finally said when he realized Alecto was waiting for his orders. "Let her through, and make sure she goes _around_ the security this time. I do not wish to recalibrate the scanners again."

"Yes my Lord." With that, Alecto flew off to bring Sephie in, and Hades relaxed in his throne, summoning a pomegranate to play with it while he waited.

As he rolled the fruit between his hands, an idea sneaked into his head. Hades blinked, surprised it even came up in the first place, but… It was not a _terrible_ idea, but he'll have to work on it before he implemented it. Maybe the next time Sephie visits…

In that moment, he didn't even question the fact there would _be_ a next visit; he simply took it for granted his niece would visit him again, sooner or later.

"Uncle?" Sephie's voice tore him out of his thoughts, and he refocused on the girl, only to blink again.

"Persephone, what are you wearing?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth, and he could care less how rude it sounded.

"A dress?" It was Sephie's turn to blink, completely befuddled by the question. "And it's Sephie, Uncle!"

It was not just a dress, though: it was a pure white _peplos_ with blue stitched waves at the bottom hem, held up by intricately decorated shell-shaped clasps and outrageously beautiful yet delicate silver belt Hades remembered as the part of three-piece set of belts Hephaestus gave Poseidon for his daughter Rhode's wedding. One went to Rhode, the other to Kympoleia, but the third was never worn by Queen Amphitrite, so Hades had assumed it was either lost or re-forged into a weapon. Apparently, Poseidon kept it hidden, hoping to give it to his third daughter.

In short, Sephie could've passed for a Grecian woman from the times long gone, with the added claim of her father showing everywhere, from the stitching to the clasps. She even had a pearl-incrusted hairpin keeping the stray locks from her face.

"Why are you wearing it, though?"

"It's a birthday present from Dad," Sephie shrugged, tracing the lines of the _peplos_ curiously. "And it looks pretty – when you ignore the fact your entire side is left exposed."

Hades closed his eyes and counted to three in his head. He'd just tried to forget _that_ little fact. " _Of course_ he'd send you that. _Chiton_ would've been less revealing," _not to mention favored by Athenian women,_ "but _peplos_ is more adaptable to the life of a warrior woman – Spartan women wore it all the time."

Sephie smirked. "Thanks for the compliment, Uncle Hades. But," here she pulled a basket from behind her back, "enough about my clothes. I have a present for you! Well, Lady Persephone has the present, my mum and I just provided the food."

_Persephone sent him a gift?_

Hades inched closer to the covered basket, insanely curious. What would his wife send him, and use Sephie as the messenger? He tried to lift the cover, but Sephie pulled the basket away.

"Ah-ah, not here! Dear gods Uncle, I heard from Auntie Hestia you don't really communicate with living, but _everyone_ knows not to peek into the surprise basket before it is handed to you!"

"Sephie…" Hades warned, but Sephie just laughed.

"I'm serious! You're not getting the basket until you show me a room where we can sit down and talk like civilized people!"

"My bedroom?" flew out of Hades' mouth before he could stop himself, and he blushed in embarrassment. Dear Fates, if Poseidon heard him right now…

Sephie's laughter stopped his imaginings of doom. "You're funny, Uncle! I'll have to decline though; wouldn't want Lady Persephone to get on my case and turn me into a plant! Sitting room, maybe?"

Hades managed to get his blush under control and lead his niece to the sitting room a corridor away from the throne room. It was not his and Persephone's private sitting room; rather, it was made for his helpers and occasional visitors in mind, with leather couches and armchairs strewn around the low, circular glass table, the room lit in mysterious green by the inlaid torches, courtesy of Hecate.

"Wow," Sephie craned her head to take in everything in the room. "You have good taste in décor, Uncle."

"It was mostly Hecate's and Persephone's work, to be honest," Hades shrugged, sinking into the loveseat he usually shared with Persephone. To his surprise, Sephie joined him on the other side, toeing off the sandals and folding her legs under her, and placed the basket between them.

"Then, tell Lady Persephone and Lady Hecate they have good taste," Sephie tilted her head before pushing the basket to her uncle. "Well?"

Hades pulled the basket to himself, noting daisies and lilies embroidered into the covering cloth, and pulled the cloth off.

"Oh," he gasped, eyes wide. The handful of forget-me-nots and a purple rose in the middle were tied with a satin white ribbon rested atop a letter and two metal tins with 'Cookies' and 'Drinks' written in Ancient Greek. "Persephone…"

"I know, right?" Sephie bounced a little on the loveseat, a huge grin on her face. "My mum couldn't stop cooing over it, and Dad was legit jealous you got such a caring wife."

"Maybe if he would stop cheating on her," Hades jabbed playfully, not taking his eyes off the flowers. "Or maybe not. I hear Amphitrite is a bitch no matter how much my brother tries to please her."

"Urgh, great. Can't wait to meet her," Sephie sassed, reaching for the 'Cookies' tin. Hades slapped her hand away. "Hey, it's my birthday, and I want my blue chocolate-chip cookies!"

"Need I remind you, the basket was for _me?_ " Hades raised his eyebrow, and Sephie pouted.

"But the cookies aren't," demigoddess argued, reaching for the tin again. This time, Hades let her grab the tin, but stopped her from opening it.

"Let me read the letter first," he looked his niece straight in the eyes, and Sephie nodded, releasing the cover of the tin. "And, _blue_ cookies?"

Sephie smirked. "An inside joke. Now hurry up!"

Hades chuckled at the impatience and slowly opened the envelope in retaliation, releasing the smell of jasmines and pomegranates. He skimmed over it, aware of the demigoddess shooting him dirty looks for making her wait, and folded the letter.

"I'll read it later. Cookies?"

"Cookies!" Sephie yelped, yanking the cover of the tin off, grabbing the round, blue cookie and stuffing into her mouth. Hades shook his head and picked up his own cookie, deciding on the slow nibbling. Once he tasted it, though, he couldn't stop himself from mimicking his niece: the cookies were almost as good as Hestia's!

"Amazing," he praised after swallowing the cookie, only to discover Sephie was finishing up her second and reaching for the third. "Leave me some cookies to me, brat!"

Sephie giggled before snatching her cookie and in no time, niece and uncle were eyeballs-deep in the competition of _who-will-eat-more-cookies._

Thanatos peeked into the sitting room, curious as to the source of shouts and laughter. He chuckled at the sight of his Lord holding the blue ( _?_ ) cookie high above the unknown twelve-year-old girl's head, while she desperately tried to reach it without leaving the tin box out of her hands. The girl, while no immortal, radiated power he only saw in children of three sons of Kronos –

_Ah!_

The grin on his face widened as he committed the scene to the memory, more than ready to use it as a blackmail. It would explain the sea shell clasps on her – was it _peplos_?

"C'mon, Uncle!" Persephone Jackson whined, reaching again for the cookie while simultaneously batting away her uncle's hand from the tin box. "You're not playing fair!"

"Like you played fair at all, brat," the joyful tone in Hades's voice took away the sting of the insult. "Grabbing two at the same time was against the rules!"

"It's not if you stuff them both in the same time in your mouth!" Daughter of Poseidon argued, before an evil glint appeared in her eyes. "Okay, I'll give you the box."

Hades narrowed his eyes, probably able to sense the _but_ in the sentence, just like Thanatos. "But?"

"No buts. I _might_ mention your teasing to someone, though," and whoever thought Hades was the devious one had to get their heads checked, because the shit-eating grin Persephone Jackson sported was the pure deviousness.

"Oh no, you're not pulling a 'wife' card on me, dear niece!" Hades barked, but Thanatos could see the bead of sweat on his Lord's forehead.

"Oh, I'm not going to tell Lady Persephone," Persephone Jackson drawled. "I'll tell my Dad."

Hades did not reply, but Thanatos shook his head and left, not wishing to see the terror he knew appeared on his Lord's face. Every the most idiotic of the Olympians knew how protective Poseidon was of his children, and he _had_ heard the tale of what really happened to Ares and Apollo. Son of Nyx shuddered at the thought. Having your wrists and ankles twisted a full 180 degrees _and_ your manhood speared through with Poseidon's Trident was _painful._ Not that he spoke from experience. He stayed away from the trouble!

* * *


End file.
